Sony NEX-7 In-Depth Review

Using the NEX-7 / Handling

For a small camera, the NEX-7 has remarkably good handling. Perhaps what's most impressive is just how good its square, barely-shaped grip really is; you can hook your fingers comfortably around it, and carry the camera around one-handed all day without discomfort. This is a rare distinction, that's arguably only shared with the SLR-like Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 amongst its high-end mirrorless peers. It's still a small camera, though, so users with large hands may find it a little cramped - but probably much better than the majority of its competitors. However if in doubt, try before you buy (as always).

Overall, the control placement is excellent too. All of the key buttons and dials are well-placed for operation by your right hand, and it's really impressive how Sony has managed to fit so much fingertip control onto such a small camera. It's not without some annoyances, of course, but none that we'd consider close to being deal-breakers.

Overall operation and handling

Overall, the NEX-7's handling in normal use is excellent. It fits well in your hand and the controls are all positive in action. The use of three dials to control the key exposure parameters works so well that you wonder why noone's done it before on this type of camera. Indeed as a piece of hardware the NEX-7 is difficult to fault; but not for the first time with a NEX, the main irritations lie with the firmware.

The NEX-7 fits snugly in your hand, with the twin top-plate dials in easy reach of your thumb. All of the key controls - the power switch, three dials, and the shutter, navigation, AEL and movie buttons - can be readily operated even with the camera to your eye.

The NEX-7's default control settings are, to us, slightly baffling given the high-end targeting of the camera. It's difficult to see why, for example, JPEG sharpening or white balance fine-tuning should be much easier to access than flash or metering modes. But the camera's near-infinite customizability means that this shouldn't be a problem for experienced photographers who understand how to set a camera up to for their own needs. It's just odd that the out-of-box setup should be so suboptimal in terms of controlling the camera (as opposed to image processing) functions.

Configuring the NEX-7

From our earlier Control Settings page, you should hopefully have grasped two things - that unless you like tweaking JPEG parameters every shot, the NEX-7's default control options are far from optimal, but also that its immense configurability means you can almost certainly set it up to better suit your personal shooting style. So it's worth spending time working out which controls you want most-frequent access to, then set up the camera accordingly.

Of course everyone is different in their preferences, but here we summarize what we think is a sensible configuration for photographers who predominantly shoot raw and desire the best possible access to camera controls. The aim here is to place as much as possible on the triple-dial-control 'Function Settings', and remaining options on the Soft Keys. This Setup forgoes assembling a 'quick menu' and instead uses Soft Key C for Exposure Mode, which maintains consistency of operation with the non-PASM modes.

We don't pretend this will be ideal for everyone, but if you find yourself struggling to get the camera to do what you want, we think it's worth considering as a start point. One point to note, though, is that if you frequently use a custom white balance, you'll need to set one of your Function Settings options to White Balance Settings, as the Custom Settings option inexplicably doesn't let you capture a reference (grey/white card) shot.

Function Settings
(
Triple-dial-control)

Custom Key Settings (Soft Keys)

Function Settings 1

Focus Settings

Right Key Setting

Flash Comp

Function Settings 2

Custom Settings*

Soft Key B Setting

Flash Mode

Function Settings 3

Not Set (or DR Settings)

Soft Key C Setting

Shoot Mode

Function Settings 4

Not Set

*Custom Settings

Custom Settings 1

Metering Mode

Custom Settings 2

Autofocus Mode

Custom Settings 3

White Balance

Aside from this, there are plenty of other settings to consider changing. It's well worth running down the Settings menu and looking at such things as configuring the AEL/Focus button behaviour, turning on Auto Review, setting Wide Image to 'Full Screen' for movie recording, and enabling 'Release w/o lens' if you plan on using adapted lenses (etc).

Specific handling issues

Assuming you can set up the NEX-7 to your satisfaction, there are just a few hardware gripes to be aware of. The twin top-plate dials are identical in size and feel - this gets 10/10 for style, but means they are impossible to tell apart by touch alone. This can become problematic with the camera to your eye, as it's quite easy to change the wrong setting by accident, and not notice until it's too late. Ironically, this is most a problem with the Function Settings screens that are turned on by default but we'd choose to disable - for example in the White Balance Settings, the right dial controls blue-amber fine-tuning, making it remarkably easy to bias all of your JPEGs on the cool side.

The NEX-7's identical-twin top-plate dials are impossible to distinguish by touch alone, and therefore easily confused with the camera to your eye.

They're also quite easily knocked accidentally, so it's worth keeping an eye on your settings when you take the camera out of a bag. They can be locked by holding down the navigation button for a few seconds.

The relatively exposed record button is distinctly prone to being activated by accident. We've found ourselves recording long, boring and spurious movies on more than one occasion.

The camera won't auto power-down when the sensor beside the viewfinder eyepiece detects something in close proximity. This can keep the camera active and rapidly drain the battery when it's hanging from a shoulder strap or placed in a bag, so it's best to make a habit of using the power switch.

One further slight irritation with the NEX-7 is the way that you can't combine certain useful information on the live view display, most notably the live histogram and electronic levels. Instead, you have to cycle through screens using the DISP button. This somewhat Olympus-esque approach is however alleviated by the fact that there aren't so many useful screens to scroll through.

The live view screen settings are also separately 'sticky' for the two viewfinder displays. In other words, if you're currently using the electronic level on the rear screen and bring the camera up to your eye, it won't necessarily show the level display in the EVF, which will instead return to its previous mode. If you find you're using the EVF and LCD for different types of shooting, this distinction is welcome but it can be an irritant if you're regularly swapping back-and-forth between the two.

@Marionez: This comment appears to have been posted less than a day ago (8/15/2017). As such, I'll reply to it and give you some advice from the point of view of someone buying it in 2017. The NEX-7 was great for its day and it is still an excellent camera. However, just so you know, it was released 6 years ago, and so you might find some good deals on used ones, but I don't know if there are any new ones floating around. Also, some other cameras to keep your eye on would be the slightly lower-level NEX-6 (2012), and the a6000 (2014, which was meant to replace both the NEX-6 and NEX-7, and fits between the two of them). Personally, I would buy a new a6000, but I see there is a VERY USED "BARGAIN" NEX-7 at KEH camera for $268, but it is banged up. (A NEX-6 in "FAIR" condition at National Camera Exchange is $209.99.) A new a6000 starts at around $545, and has some changes such as a modern hotshoe. I'd definitely spend extra to get newer stuff. Whichever you prefer is up to you.

@Charrick1: Hi, I want to ask you for advice. Today I found used NEX-7 with Sony E 18-55 OSS lens in e-shop for 390€. It looks fairly good, at least for the three pictures that show it. Now I am thorn between new Fuji X-A2 for 450€ and this. Is NEX-7 still better then X-A2?

@Erik_B: The ISO performance of the NEX-7 is not nearly as good as a 24MP APS-camera of today. The Fuji X-A2 is only 16MP and 4 years newer, so ISO performance should be considerably better. ISO3200 and ISO6400 should be useful on the Fuji where Sony will do poorly even at ISO3200 (I don't go over ISO1600 on my NEX-7)

I use both the NEX7 & 6. I have no need to get a full frame 35mm equivalent. My next move will be to medium format. It's the only way to get better results than the APS-C or FF. I had to go back to my 1970's Nikon equipment to match the crisp images that the NEX7 gets; the NEX6 is a half step behind the NEX7 in resolution but it does have it's uses over the NEX7. They really complement each other. Previously I used a Canon 7D with "L" lenses but I got tired of documenting actual focus from AF. The mirrorless gives me none of these problems. The NEX7 ends, Sony can only give it more whistles & bells.

A6000 is similar to NEX-7 but:1. has a lower resolution EVF than NEX-7 (1,44k vs. 2,36k)2. A6000 has faster hybrid AF with contrast+phase detection3. NEX-7 has a magnesium front+top body, A6000 is "composite"

Your review is incorrect. The NEX 7 does not have an uncompressed file option. The manual clearly states that ARW files are compressed and this is born out by the size of the files. This results in artifacts at fairly small enlargement.

To my mind there seems to be a certain ‘paranoia’ about the NEX-7, something I find quite disturbing. Whilst most professional reviewers are writing very positive, comprehensive feedback, amateur armchair experts seem to picking holes in everything by writing messages all over the Internet that are littered with non-understandable technical jargon. I am far from sure anyone without an advanced degree in photography can understand what on earth they are on about. Surely the strength of a camera is in the pictures (or video) the camera offers, and in the case of the NEX-7, it’s generally recognised they are quite astounding, comparing quite favourably against cameras at four times the cost.

I agree. I came late to the NEX-7 and think it is an exceptional piece of kit that produces superb images, even in my hands....I could only criticise the user interface which could be friendlier (and which has apparently been improved on later 'Nex' developments. I have been happy to adapt to it, though.It is one of those classic cameras (like my Sony R1) which I will hold on to for life.

I have had an NEX-7 for about a year now and like you find it an excellent piece of kit: It far exceeds my abilities. My friend is a Pro in London and uses cameras which are far more expensive said he may get one because the quality is excellent, especially for the quick shots outdoors when setting up his stuff would take too long and the moment lost.

I agree with you and my Canon equipment has been collecting dust since my purchase of the Nex7 and a6000. Both outstanding and so portable. The fact you can shoot video through the viewfinder, is the biggest plus among many for me.The likely negatives come from those who don't own one.

I bought a Nex-7 for pro work when it was first introduced, open minded about it replacing my Nikon SLRs. On the first assignment I discovered that the ergonomics were nowhere near as efficient as a Nikon SLR's, the kit lens was soft in the corners, the jpegs watercoloury at high ISO, and the battery was too small, so it fell into disuse.Then I bought a Nikon adapter and used the Nex-7 for rapid shots through a manual focus tele lens, landscapes with a tilted lens or when I needed to assess depth of field carefully, and close-ups where no mirror slap was an advantage. I tried using it for video, but found the touchy record button too unreliable. On one remote shoot I took 15 spare batteries, using the camera only for video and panoramas, and used up the last battery on the last day. Six (?) years later, I'm still shooting mostly (cont.)

with SLRs, and the Nex-7, now chipped and cracked with 62,000 shots on the clock and still working, is my carry-around snapshot camera. It served me well enough, a camera with terrific raw image quality let down by an inefficient, fiddly interface, some poor lenses and jpeg processing, and short battery life.

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